Victorian Names

Victorian names carry all the charm of the 1800s — elegant, ornate and quietly making a comeback on modern shortlists. They conjure buttoned-up parlours, gaslit streets, handwritten letters and a certain refined formality, yet many feel utterly fresh again to today’s parents. This is the era of grand, dignified girls’ names like Adelaide, Florence, Beatrice, Cora and Eleanor, and of stately boys’ names like Edmund, Theodore, Arthur, Frederick and Walter. What unites them is a sense of heritage and gentility: they were the names of a confident, industrious age, and they wear their history beautifully. Many are enjoying a genuine revival as families rediscover their warmth and character. Whether you love the full flourish of Augustus or the softness of Ada, here are real Victorian-era baby names, each with its genuine meaning and origin.